untitled current innovations at the research fore- fronts of bacterial polysaccharides ; and in the mean time, they can learn the dif- ferent state-of-the-art technologies that were used to prove scientific hypothesis. Chang-Chun Ling University of Calgary (Canada) Chemical Biology : Learning through Case Studies By Herbert Waldmann and Petra Janning. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2009, 294 pp. , soft- cover E 39.90.—ISBN 978-3-527-32330-2 Chemical Biology : A Practical Course By Herbert Waldmann and Petra Janning. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2004, 230 pp. , soft- cover E 39.90.—ISBN 978-3-527-30778-4 What is Chemical Biology ? The answer to this question remains to be shaped, de- fined and rede- fined by those working in the field. Its scope is partly defined by the content and topics chosen for inclusion in the diverse collection of journals, con- ferences, graduate programs and university courses that bear the “Chemical Biol- ogy” moniker but, ultimately, it is those who self-identify as chemical biologists who will have the final word. In that context, a pair of stu- dent-oriented textbooks edited by Wald- mann and Janning mark an important milestone. Chemical Biology : A Practical Course, is a series of practical laboratory experiments intended for upper-level un- dergraduates or graduate students. The book begins with a broad over- view by the editors, which outlines their personal thoughts on the definition of Chemical Biology. Because their reader- ship comprises impressionable young scientists, they should be particularly applauded for their clear and concise phrasing and their willingness to point out the evolving nature of the field. Fol- lowing the introductory section, the next twelve chapters each cover a topic under the general heading of Chemical Biology. These subjects include a range of areas, including synthesis and applica- tion of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), in silico protein ligand design, proteomic analysis and solid-phase synthesis of an- tibiotics. Each chapter begins with a brief summation of the field that is in- tended to provide context for under- standing the subsequent experiment. The depth of background is necessarily brief, and experts might be disappointed by the relatively short space devoted to their favorite topics, but these sections are clearly meant to provide a frame- work for future reading. Following the introductory material, protocols are given for implementing the experiment and these protocols are sufficiently gen- eral to be adapted and customized for various manufacturer’s instruments. The sheer breadth of topics is impressive ; the book touches on aspects of organic synthesis, molecular biology, computa- tional biology, signal transduction, enzyme kinetics, genomics, proteomics and drug design. Despite this scope, the methods are uniformly written in a straightforward style, regardless of whether the experiment involves synthe- sis or protein purification or other far- flung methodologies. The editor’s col- leagues are largely responsible for the book’s content, and this approach pro- vides a satisfying coherence. On a practical note, because the previ- ous training of students will likely be diverse, certain sections might require supplementary source material (primary manuscripts, additional reviews, more detailed protocols, etc.). For example, 5’ and 3’ are used in the section on DNA hybridization without formal introduc- tion of the nucleic acid structure, which might cause trouble for introductory stu- dents lacking a strong molecular biology background. However, the text’s main accomplishment is to capture the topics that encompass “Chemical Biology” and, in this task, it is remarkably successful. Moreover, guided by these logical tem- plates, it is easy to imagine how a re- searcher could add custom modules in- spired by their own interests. The companion text, Chemical Biology : Learning through Case Studies, is de- signed as a supporting text for courses populated by upper-level undergraduate or graduate students. As with the labora- tory course, each chapter starts with an introduction to the biological problem, followed by a review of the chemical methodology and then a summary of specific literature examples. The general topics include chemical genomics, syn- thesis of chemical libraries, target iden- tification, protein–protein interactions, affinity-based profiling, native chemical ligation, protein semisynthesis and other modern areas of chemical biology. The emphasis is not necessarily on primary data ; rather, the chapters are a guide to the broader literature. This approach works well because it reduces the jargon and, more importantly, it lets the excite- ment of the field become the center- piece. Towards that goal, “breakout” boxes are included to serve as a brief re- fresher of major concepts. Similarly, the glossary in the front of the book comes in handy when the reader needs a quick reminder of the definition of ABPP or HBTU. No discussion questions, teaching guides or multimedia visuals are includ- ed, so educators might want to supple- ment with web-based teaching tools and demonstrations geared towards the specific background of their student pool. Given the challenging task of covering an enormous and diverse set of topics, Waldmann and Janning have done an excellent job of providing practical infor- mation, while also capturing the excite- ment and potential of Chemical Biology. For those developing educational curric- ula around this challenging subject, these books are likely to provide an in- valuable framework and useful resource. Jason E. Gestwicki University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (USA) DOI : 10.1002/cbic.200900458 2540 � 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim ChemBioChem 2009, 10, 2539 – 2541